A programme to train women representatives in Panchayati Raj institutions has been launched in order to empower them to participate effectively in the governance processes, a Women and Child Development Ministry statement said on Monday.
Around 20,000 Elected Women Representatives (EWR) of Panchayati Raj institutions are to be trained by March 2018 under the capacity buildingprogramme, the statement said.
The programme is being organised by the National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development of the Ministry.
“This is a historic step since for the first time ever, an initiative of this scale has been taken up to train EWRs who will go out and administer the villages professionally,” WCD Minister Maneka Gandhi said.

“It is regrettable that not many women sarpanches and EWRs come forward to take up their responsibilities and mostly allow their husbands to take the lead. So, they remain sarpanchanis in name only.”
The training programme will include engineering skills and will give an insight into women’s issues as well as focus on education and financial matters.
Awards will be given to the Master Trainers who succeed in empowering EWRs of their areas.